Game dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame dayGame daySaints

Frontier battles

AHEADSaints coaches

go over the state of the program

at midseason

THURSDAY, JANUARY 4, 2018

2 • Saints Game Day Thursday, January 4, 2018

ERIK C. ANDERSON

406mtsports.com

The Carroll College men’s basketball team is off to a 14-0 record through the nonconference portion of the season.

The Saints now turn their attention to the Frontier Conference.

Here are coach Carson Cunningham’s thoughts about the program at midseason.

What characteristics stick out about this team so far? How does it compare to last season’s team?

Our team plays with competitive fire, with connectivity and unselfishly. I think they played that way last year, too. It’s fun to be a part of.

ERIK C. ANDERSON

406mtsports.com

The Carroll College women’s basket-ball team is off to an 8-4 record through a challenging nonconference portion of the season.

The Saints now turn their attention to the Frontier Conference.

Here are coach Rachelle Sayer’s

thoughts about the state of the program at midseason.

What characteristics stick out about this team so far? How does it compare to last season’s team?

I think this is our most competitive and confident group. We have a lot of players

Catching up with

Carson Cunningham

BMGPHOTOS.COM

Coach Cunningham feels the Saints are ready for the beginning of Frontier Conference play.

Catching up with

Rachelle Sayers

BMGPHOTOS.COM

Coach Rachelle Sayers believes the challenging early part of the schedule helped the Saints prepare for Frontier Conference play.

Catching up at midseason

Please see CUNNINGHAM, Page 4 Please see SAYERS, Page 5

ThuRSDay, JanuaRy 4, 2018 | 3

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DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME/RESULT

10/21/2017 yellowstone Christian College helena, Mont. W 103-53

10/22/2017 Salish Kootenai College Pablo, Mont. W 125-53

11/1/2017 Purdue (Exhib.) West Lafayette, Ind. L 71-98

11/4/2017 Saint Francis (Ill.) Joliet, IL W 67-57

11/17/2017 Our Lady of the Lake university (Texas) helena, Mont. W 78-71

11/18/2017 Southwestern Christian university helena, Mont. W 85-63

11/26/2017 Montana (Exhib.) Missoula, Mont. L 75-86

12/2/2017 Montana State university-northern havre, Mont. W 99-90 OT

12/3/2017 university of Providence (Mont.) Great Falls, Mont. W 86-76

12/8/2017 Salish Kootenai College helena, Mont. W 116-57

12/19/2017 Bethesda College Costa Mesa, Calif. W 85-55

12/20/2017 Vanguard university (Calif.) Costa Mesa, Calif. W 82-73

12/21/2017 Westcliff universty Irvine, Calif. W 96-53

12/28/2017 university of Calgary helena, Mont. W 91-82

12/29/2017 university of Calgary helena, Mont. W 79-78

1/4/2018 university of Montana Western helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/6/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/9/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/11/2018 Montana Tech Butte, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/18/2018 university of Montana Western Dillon, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/20/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) Lewiston, Idaho 7:30 p.m.

1/25/2018 Montana Tech Butte, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

1/27/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/1/2018 university of Providence (Mont.) helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/3/2018 Montana State university-northern helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/7/2018 Montana Tech helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/9/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) Billings, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/16/2018 Montana State university-northern havre, Mont. 8 p.m.

2/17/2018 university of Providence (Mont.) Great Falls, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/22/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

2/24/2018 university of Montana Western helena, Mont. 7:30 p.m.

No. NAME POS. HT. WT. YR. HOMETOWN / HIGH SCHOOL

2 Dane Warp G 6-4 190 So. havre, MT / havre hS

3 Emilio Mancol PG 5-9 160 Fr. Renton, Wa / John F. Kennedy Catholic

10 Chase Burnham G 6-3 200 Fr. Spangle, Wa / Liberty hS

12 Match Burnham F 6-8 210 Jr. Spangle, Wa / Liberty hS

13 Kyle nickol G 6-0 165 Jr. helena, Mont. / Capital hS

20 Patrick Colberg F 6-8 215 Sr. Missoula, Mont. / hellgate hS

21 Brad King F 6-8 210 Fr. Dromana, australia / Padua

22 Lorel Johnson G 6-1 165 Sr. Downey, Calif. / Cathedral hS

23 Ryan Imhoff G 6-6 220 Sr. napa, Calif. / napa hS

24 Matt Wyman G 6-7 180 Jr. Great Falls, Mont. / Great Falls hS

31 Ife Kalejaiye G 6-2 168 Jr. Rancho Palos Verdes, Calif. / Cathedral hS

32 alejandro Santos Piqueras F 6-8 195 R-Jr. Madrid, Spain / Club: Estudiantes

43 Oliver Carr F 6-6 205 Sr. Bozeman, Mont. / Bozeman hS

Coaching StaffDr. Carson Cunningham: head Coach

Jesse Repay: Lead assistant Coach

Scott Menzies: assistant Coach

Hasani Simmons: assistant Coach

MEN’S ROSTER

MEN’S SCHEDULE

4 • Saints Game Day Thursday, January 4, 2018

Who has taken the biggest leap in terms of development at this point in the season?

We’ve had impressive growth by the players. They are willing to work on things, which is huge. I think Lorel Johnson (is) really underrated. He does a ton for us and has for years. He has taken his ability to QB a hoops team and put his imprint on a game to even another level this season. And his defense has been locked in. But, again, other guys have re-ally stepped up, too, from Ife to Wyman to more.

Sitting undefeated, is this where you thought this team

would be reentering confer-ence play?

We try to remain open-minded about where we can take this while focusing on what’s in front of us, on our next workout and game. Each game is a battle.

What’s the secret to win-ning games in the Frontier Conference?

We just try to focus on play-ing with unity, with competitive vim and vigor, on getting stops and playing with a purposeful flow. The rest should take care of itself. For us, whether playing a Frontier game or not, our 4Gs approach — trying to cultivate Goodness, carry out the Golden Rule, be open to growth, and be gritty — is where it starts for us. We want this approach to set the

tone and have things flow from there.

What difference has the new court in the PE Center made for the program?

The floor is phenomenal. The best part of it for us is what’s be-neath the surface — the cushion-ing it gives our guys’ legs.

What else about the facili-ties upgrades over the last year have made a difference?

Having a half-court space for fellas to get in reps has been a huge upgrade for our program. We’re very grateful for the space.

Which position does your team need to recruit this sea-son?

We’re open-minded with re-gard to recruiting, assessing and looking for great fits.

CunninghamFrom Page 2

BMGPHOTOS.COM

Coach Carson Cunningham likes how his younger players are developing so the Saints will be a strong program for years to come.

WOMEN’S ROSTER

WOMEN’S SCHEDULE

No. NAME POS. HT. YR. HOMETOWN / HIGHSCHOOL

1 Bailey Pasta PG 5-6 Sr. nampa, Idaho / Skyview hS

3 Jaidyn Lyman PG 5-3 Fr. Spokane, Wash. / Mount Spokane hS

4 Danielle Wagner G 5-9 R-Fr. havre, Mont. / havre hS

5 Michaela Dowdy C 6-1 Sr. helena, Mont. / Capital hS

10 Christine Denny PG 5-9 Fr. Fairfield, Wash. / Liberty HS

11 Sara Chalich G 5-6 Jr. Coeur d’Alene, Idaho / Coeur d’Alene HS

12 Taylor Salonen F 6-1 So. Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS

20 Mikaela Olson G 5-8 Jr. Lewistown, Mont. / Fergus HS

21 Cassidy Hashley F 6-2 Sr. Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS

24 Hannah Dean C 6-1 Jr. Gardiner, Mont. / Gardiner HS

25 Brittney Johnson SG 5-7 Jr. Spokane, Wash. / Ferris HS

30 Nikki Krueger C 6-1 Fr. Kalispell, Mont. / Glacier HS

33 Oona Harrington F 5-11 So. Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS

35 Molly McDermott SG/F 6-2 Fr. Spokane, Wash. / Gonzaga Prep HS

42 Mikaela Robinson SG 5-9 Jr. Billings, Mont. / Billings West HS

Coaching StaffRachelle Sayers: Head Coach

Gary Turcott: Assistant Coach

J.D. Solomon: Assistant Coach

Joey O’Neill: Assistant Coach

DATE OPPONENT LOCATION TIME/RESULT

10/30/2017 University of Montana (Exhib.) Missoula, Mont. L 48-55

11/2/2017 University of Utah (Exhib.) Salt Lake City, Utah L 46-70

11/4/2017 The College of Idaho Caldwell, Idaho W 48-37

11/5/2017 Boise State (Exhib.) Boise, Idaho W 62-61

11/8/2017 Saint Thomas University Helena, Mont. W 67-53

11/9/2017 Northwest University Helena, Mont. W 74-33

11/18/2017 Westmont College (Calif.) Santa Barbara, Calif. W 39-34

11/20/2017 The Master’s College (Calif.) Santa Clarita, Calif. L 64-74

12/2/2017 Montana State University-Northern Havre, Mont. L 42-53

12/3/2017 University of Providence (Mont.) Great Falls, Mont. W 78-65

12/8/2017 Whitman College Spokane, Wash. L 55-59

12/9/2017 Whitworth University Spokane, Wash. W 78-56

12/19/2017 Menlo College Waikiki, Hawaii W 75-65

12/20/2017 Saint Xavier University (Ill.) Waikiki, Hawaii L 52-55

12/29/2017 University of Calgary Helena, Mont. W 59-54

12/30/2017 University of Lethbridge Helena, Mont. W 82-61

1/4/2018 University of Montana Western Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/6/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/9/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/11/2018 Montana Tech Butte, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/18/2018 University of Montana Western Dillon, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/20/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) Lewiston, Idaho 5:30 p.m.

1/25/2018 Montana Tech Butte, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

1/27/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/1/2018 University of Providence (Mont.) Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/3/2018 Montana State University-Northern Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/7/2018 Montana Tech Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/9/2018 Rocky Mountain College (Mont.) Billings, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/16/2018 Montana State University-Northern Havre, Mont. 6:00 p.m.

2/17/2018 University of Providence (Mont.) Great Falls, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/22/2018 Lewis-Clark State College (Idaho) Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

2/24/2018 Montana Western Helena, Mont. 5:30 p.m.

Thursday, January 4, 2018 Saints Game Day • 5

that can and are giving us good contribution. We don’t have to depend on just two or three play-ers, and the kids are very confident and want to contribute. I think we are more confident making plays within the offense and making plays for other players. I think that we have matured as a team and in-dividually, every player has made major strides in developing their weaknesses and with that, they have become much more confi-dent in their game.

Who has taken the biggest leap in terms of development at this point in the season?

I think Hannah (Dean) has definitely improved her game in a lot of ways. She was a very good player last year, but she has matured into a player that has the ability to take over games in a lot of ways. As a small forward for us, she is leading us in every category: scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals. She makes our team better with her playmaking ability. She is mak-ing a lot of plays that last year she consistently couldn’t make, on top of that, she is shooting the ball really well, so people can’t just play her as a slasher. I think Taylor Salonen has really im-proved her game, she is a very ca-pable offensive player and she has shown some flashes of what she can do, we are just trying to get her to stay aggressive and focus more on being a scorer. This isn’t something that has ever been a big part of her game, but she def-initely has the ability to do this. Mikaela Olson had a great sum-mer. I can’t say enough about the change in her as a leader, player and teammate for us. When it is all said and done, she will be a huge key to our success.

Sitting at 8-4, is this where you thought this team would be reentering conference play?

I knew we had a very chal-lenging schedule. We have lost four games by an average of eight points to all ranked oppo-nents (NAIA, NCAA Division III)

, some might look at our record and think we aren’t having a very good year or that we aren’t very good when you look at some of our conference opponents that have 10 or more wins. But we know the importance of playing quality opponents, we have done that. We have had the most dif-ficult schedule of anyone in our league. I have no problems mak-ing that statement. I don’t really care too much about our record at this point, I care about us get-ting better from every game we have played and making sure we are ready to win games in Janu-ary and February. That is what we are working toward. We were 13-0 last year in the preseason and finished 5th, so my concern isn’t where we are right now but where we are going to be at the end of the year.

What’s the secret to win-ning games in the Frontier Conference?

Definitely staying healthy, staying fresh and I think con-tinuing to stay true to who you are and just working every day to be great at it. I think it is easy to see what other teams are doing suc-cessfully and think that maybe that is what you need to do, but I think you train all summer and all preseason to be the team you want to be and when the chips are down, your kids will perform best when they are comfortable and confident and I think the only way to ensure that is to continue to be who you are.

What difference has the new court in the PE Center made for the program?

It is huge for us. Not only does it look great, it has a lot more give and support. It is a mark of pride. Players want to walk into a place that they know is theirs and they are proud of how it looks and that is huge.

What else about the facili-ties upgrades over the last year have made a difference?

I think anytime there are up-grades to facilities it is a reminder that people truly care about what we do and that we are all in this together. We have a great follow-ing, not only do we have amaz-ing fans, we have tremendous

boosters. We have had so many people rise to the occasion when there has been a need, it is really amazing and I think it puts a lot of ownership onto the players. They understand that what they do matters and that people really care, so it is their responsibility to go out and play their tails off night in and night out because they owe it to these people that have made such a huge invest-ment in them.

Which position does your team need to recruit this sea-son?

We only lose twp players to graduation. Next year we get all-American Cassidy Hashley back. We get Sara Chalich back. We have two other players, both over 6-1 redshirting that will be ready to go. We have a lot of depth and experience returning and have signed two players already for next season that I think are going to make a big impact right away. I am very encouraged at where (freshmen) Jaidyn (Lyman) and Christine (Denny) are right now. I think they continue to get bet-ter. We are not really looking to recruit any other players at this time for a specific need, but if we do, we will definitely be looking for the most talented player we can sign, regardless of position. We are pretty set in all positions for next season, so that is excit-ing.

What characteristics stick out about this team so far? How does it compare to last season’s team?

I think this is our most com-petitive and confident group. We have a lot of players that can and are giving us good contribu-tion. We don’t have to depend on just two or three players, and the kids are very confident and want to contribute. I think we are more confident making plays within the offense and making plays for other players. I think that we have matured as a team and individu-ally, every player has made major strides in developing their weak-nesses and with that, they have become much more confident in their game.

SayersFrom Page 2

Please see SAYERS, Page 7

6 • Saints Game Day Thursday, January 4, 2018

Men’s power rankings Women’s power rankings

ERIK C. ANDERSON

406mtsports.com

Here’s a look at how the Frontier Confer-ence team are doing each week:

1. No. 4 Carroll College Saints: Carroll hasn’t dropped a game and is the by far best team in the Frontier Conference at this point. The Saints have shown an abil-ity to play multiple styles of basketball, which should lend itself to success against a variety of matchups in league play.

2. No. 11 Lewis-Clark State College: The Warriors were the big winners of the early season, knocking off Western and imple-menting in a bunch of new pieces to their 2017-18 iteration.

3. No. 17 Montana Western: The Bulldogs were the pick to the win the conference, and still could, but for now they’re in need of some bounceback wins. Dom Robinson has got off to a strong start and new Bull-dog Brandon Jones has risen to become the team’s second leading scorer. With Frontier play looming, Western could jump up this list at anytime.

4. Montana State-Northern Lights: North-ern hasn’t done much to add to its overall

resume, but with Ryan Reeves as the re-turning defensive player of the year and some tightening-the-bolts games against Yellowstone Christian and Nueta Hidatsa College, the Lights could go on a little run.

5. University of Providence Argonauts: The Argonauts have been inac-tive since Dec. 8, but since other teams around them have fallen, they’ll hold the No. 5 slot for now. Early re-ports on transfer forward Steven Daho-Clark are he’s a good player and going to be a presence in the Frontier.

6. Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears: The ups and downs of the Battlin’ Bears lands them in the No. 6 spot this week. Transfers Jared Samuelson and Latrelle Franklin have given RMC some fight so far, but a big losing spell shows Rocky still has some configuring to do.

7. Montana Tech Orediggers: Tech is still looking to build some momentum under second-year coach Adam Hiatt. Hiatt is no stranger to the Frontier after coaching former conference member Westminster, but it’s still an uphill battle in year two.

ERIK C. ANDERSON

406mtsports.com

Here’s a look at how the Frontier Confer-ence team are doing each week:

1. No. 6 Lewis-Clark State College: Lewis-Clark State College is still the team to beat

in women’s ball. While East-ern Oregon owns wins over the best in the Frontier Con-ference, LCSC still has 19-1 record in its last 20 Frontier games.

2. Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears: The road warriors have got off to a big

start, winning games away from home and beating quality competition. Brooke Jones has come on for the Battlin’ Bears this sea-son and could be the catalyst in Rocky’s big start.

3. No. 21 Carroll College Saints: Save a bro-ken nose to Hannah Dean, and the Saints may have come in at No. 2 on this list. Carroll is scrapping in every game and the Saints are giving themselves chances to beat anybody.

4. No. 12 Montana Western Bulldogs: The

Bulldogs have done a lot of good things this season, incorporating transfer guard Brianna King into the lineup and having a lot of success early. A hiccup on the road a few weeks back keeps the Bulldogs out of the top three this week.

5. No. 22 MSU-Northern Skylights: The Sky-lights have shown life without all-Amer-ican Natalee Faupel will be different, but they’ve made some adjustments early this season. Peyton Filius has stepped up for her hometown team. She’ll need to keep that up to move the Skylights higher in these rankings.

6. University of Providence Argonauts: Senior guard Stephanie McDonagh gives the Argonauts a chance any night out, but the problem is Providence hasn’t had many nights out recently. Don’t be sur-prised if Providence hits a winning streak, but until then they’ll have to wait to move up.

7. Montana Tech Orediggers: Until the Orediggers retake the court, they’re in the basement in these rankings. Tech finished fourth in the Frontier a season ago, so it’s not farfetched to think the Orediggers will remain here long.

Carroll CollegeThis week: The Saints get their strongest

challenge to their sterling start with home games against Montana Western and Lewis-Clark State. Western came into Carroll and gave the Saints their worst loss last season, winning 99-85 and winning the season series 2-1. The Saints went 4-0 against Lewis-Clark State a season ago, but three of the four games were decided by a com-bined seven points. The Saints did dominate in the conference championship, winning 93-75.Montana Western

This week: The Bulldogs hit the road for a stiff test against Carroll College and then a visit to Rocky Mountain College. Western was the only team to defeat Carroll twice last year. The Bulldogs also owned a 2-1 record over the Battlin’ Bears. This week will do a lot in helping Western re-establish themselves as a team to beat in the Frontier.Rocky Mountain College

This week: Rocky hosts two of the top pro-grams in the Frontier, receiving visits from Lewis-Clark State College and Montana Western. Rocky is looking for its first conference win, and a win over either or both the Warriors and Bulldogs would do a lot to jumpstart the Battlin’ Bears.University of Providence

This week: Providence takes a road trip to havre to face MSu-northern and then returns home to host Montana Tech. The argonauts went 1-2 against the Lights and 2-1 against Montana Tech a season ago.Montana State-Northern

This week: after hosting Providence on Tuesday, the Lights will take a trip down South to Butte and take on Montana Tech. northern went 2-1 against Great Falls a year ago and swept Tech. This week could give the Lights a chance to get off to a strong start in the resumption of conference games.Lewis-Clark State College

This week: Lewis-Clark State College gets to test itself on the road against Rocky Mountain College and the best in the conference, Carroll College. The matchups told different stories for the Warriors last season. LCSC fared well against Rocky, posting a 2-1 record, but went 0-4 against the Saints.Montana Tech

This week: Montana Tech hosts Montana-State northern and Providence, looking to earn conference wins and begin climbing out of the cellar of the Frontier. Great Falls was the only team the Orediggers defeated in conference a season ago. — Erik C. Anderson

Around the Frontier Conference Rocky Mountain College Battlin’ Bears

This week: Rocky finally gets home games, resuming conference play against two of the strongest teams in the conference, Lewis-Clark State College and Montana Western. Wins here could mean the Battlin’ Bears are the team to beat. First RMC has to handle last season’s confer-ence champ and naIa championship runnerup in the Warriors and then gets another difficult test in Montana Western.University of Providence Argonauts

This week: after a visit to Montana State-northern, the argonauts host Montana Tech on Thursday. The first road test could set up Great Falls with some momentum entering conference play, though Great Falls will have a chance to end the week at home against a Tech team that the argos couldn’t defeat last season, going 0-3.Montana Western

This week: Western hits the road two con-tests on the road against Carroll College and Rocky Mountain College. Western’s conference loss came on the road. Granted, it was against the top team in the conference. This week is a chance for the Bulldogs to prove they can be a top team on the road.Lewis-Clark State College

This week: The Warriors get back to confer-

ence play with a pair of road games, visiting Rocky Mountain College in Billings and Carroll College in helena. a season ago, the Warriors took a lump from Carroll College in helena, losing one of its two games all year in the capital city. With both teams ranked entering the game, it will has the making of another classic Frontier battle.Montana State-Northern

This week: northern has a trip to Montana Tech after hosting Providence earlier in the week. northern visits Butte and looks to win its first road game of the conference season. The Skylights opened up conference play back in December with two home games, where they went 1-1.Montana Tech

This week: The Orediggers host Montana State-northern and takes a trip to Great Falls to face the university of Providence. The games give the Orediggers chances to make up lost ground in the Frontier.Carroll College

This week: The Saints host Western and Lewis-Clark State College, perhaps the two strongest teams in the Frontier. It’s the first time the Saints will get conference games at home this season. While Carroll was the lone Frontier team to defeat LCSC a season ago, the Warriors won the season series 2-1. — Erik C. Anderson

Around the Frontier Conference

Who has taken the biggest leap in terms of development at this point in the season?

I think Hannah (Dean) has defi -nitely improved her game in a lot of ways. She was a very good player last year, but she has matured into a player that has the ability to take over games in a lot of ways. As a small forward for us, she is lead-ing us in every category: scoring, rebounding, assists, blocks and steals. She makes our team better with her playmaking ability. She is making a lot of plays that last year she consistently couldn’t make, on top of that, she is shooting the ball really well, so people can’t just play her as a slasher. I think Taylor Salonen has really improved her game, she is a very capable of-fensive player and she has shown some fl ashes of what she can do, we are just trying to get her to stay aggressive and focus more on be-

ing a scorer. This isn’t something that has ever been a big part of her game, but she defi nitely has the ability to do this. Mikaela Olson had a great summer. I can’t say enough about the change in her as a leader, player and teammate for us. When it is all said and done, she will be a huge key to our suc-cess.

Sitting at 7-4, is this where you thought this team would be reentering conference play?

I knew we had a very chal-lenging schedule. We have lost four games by an average of eight points to all ranked opponents (NAIA, NCAA Division III) , some might look at our record and think we aren’t having a very good year or that we aren’t very good when you look at some of our conference opponents that have 10 or more wins. But we know the importance of playing quality opponents, we have done that. We have had the most diffi cult schedule of anyone in our league. I have no problems making that statement. I don’t re-

ally care too much about our re-cord at this point, I care about us getting better from every game we have played and making sure we are ready to win games in January and February. That is what we are working toward. We were 13-0 last year in the preseason and fi nished 5th, so my concern isn’t where we are right now but where we are go-ing to be at the end of the year.

What’s the secret to winning games in the Frontier?

Defi nitely staying healthy, stay-ing fresh and I think continuing to stay true to who you are and just working every day to be great at it. I think it is easy to see what other teams are doing successfully and think that maybe that is what you need to do, but I think you train all summer and all preseason to be the team you want to be and when the chips are down, your kids will perform best when they are com-fortable and confi dent and I think the only way to ensure that is to continue to be who you are.

What diff erence has the new

court in the PE Center made for the program?

It is huge for us. Not only does it look great, it has a lot more give and support. It is a mark of pride. Players want to walk into a place that they know is theirs and they are proud of how it looks and that is huge.

What else about the facili-ties upgrades over the last year have made a diff erence?

I think anytime there are up-grades to facilities it is a reminder that people truly care about what we do and that we are all in this together. We have a great follow-ing, not only do we have amaz-ing fans, we have tremendous boosters. We have had so many people rise to the occasion when there has been a need, it is really amazing and I think it puts a lot of ownership onto the players. They understand that what they do matters and that people really care, so it is their responsibility to go out and play their tails off night in and night out because

they owe it to these people that have made such a huge invest-ment in them.

Which position does your team need to recruit this sea-son?

We only lose twp players to graduation. Next year we get all-American Cassidy Hashley back. We get Sara Chalich back. We have two other players, both over 6-1 redshirting that will be ready to go. We have a lot of depth and experience returning and have signed two players already for next season that I think are going to make a big impact right away. I am very encouraged at where (freshmen) Jaidyn (Lyman) and Christine (Denny) are right now. I think they continue to get better. We are not really looking to recruit any other players at this time for a specifi c need, but if we do, we will defi nitely be looking for the most talented player we can sign, regardless of position. We are pretty set in all positions for next season, so that is exciting.

Getting to know... Getting to know...

Oliver Carr

Brittney Johnson

Height: 6-foot-6

Weight: 204 pounds

Hometown: Bozeman

Major: Biology

Favorite Music: O’henry Band.

Favorite show: The Offi ce

Favorite sport that’s not basketball: Tennis

Favorite game: Poker

Favorite place in Hel-ena: Missouri River

Favorite outdoor ac-tivity: Fishing

One thing a lot people don’t know about you: I’m a pretty good drummer.

If you weren’t playing basketball how would you spend your time: Skiiing.

Random talents: Juggling.

Height: 5-foot-7

Position: guard

Hometown: Spokane, Washington

Favorite Music: Country

Favorite show: One Tree Hill

Favorite sport that’s not basketball: Soccer

Favorite game that’s not a sport: Monopoly

Favorite place in Helena: Broadwater Hot Springs

Favorite outdoor activity: Boating/Being at the lake

One thing a lot people don’t know about you: This last summer I had the opportunity to travel to Cape Town, South Africa and volunteer as a medical assistant in the local clinic, where I was able to gain experience and broaden my knowledge, as I plan to pursue becoming a physician assistant.

If you weren’t playing basketball how would you spend your time: I would probably spend a lot more time with friends, some more time studying, hiking and enjoying the great outdoors more and traveling when not in school.

SayersFrom Page 5

Thursday, January 4, 2018 Saints Game Day • 7

BMGPHOTOS.COM

Oliver Carr plans to become a dentist when he’s done play for the Carroll College men’s basketball team.

TROY SHOCKLEY, TROY.SHOCKLEY@HELENAIR.COM

Carroll’s Brittney Johnson drives during the third quarter of Saturday’s home loss to Montana-State Northern.

8 | THuRSDAy, JANuARy 4, 2018

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